Datu Charles: Celebrity tarsier

HE had hobnobbed with no less

than the heir to the British throne

and a Philippine president at

Malacañang.

Normally, that would have been an

experience anyone could not resist

recounting at every opportunity.

And yet, no one can really tell

whether Datu Charles has any

recollection of that historic

meeting.

From the look of things, he makes

no big deal about it.

Datu Charles was the name given by then Tourism Secretary

Mina Gabor to the tarsier that was brought to Malacañang in a

symbolic presentation to Prince Charles of Britain on July 3,

1997.

Gabor was with the group that witnessed the ceremony, along

with then President Fidel Ramos and first lady Amelita Ramos.

Few people know it but Datu Charles was actually adopted by

Prince Charles and entrusted to his breeder.

Since the prince is noted for his conservationist views, the

Philippine Tarsier Foundation Inc. (PTFI) decided to squeeze

the presentation into his 10-hour itinerary to drum up

international interest in the protection and preservation of the

tarsier (Tarsius syrichta).

The PTFI is a Bohol-based group committed to the preservation

of the unique prosimian that is often erroneously referred to as

the world's smallest monkey.

Fr. Florante Camacho, PTFI president, led the Bohol delegation

in the 1997 presentation, along with Corella Mayor Jose Nicanor

Tocmo, PTFI executive director Jesus Alvarez and directors

Richard Uy, Anos Fonacier and Zosimo Angan.

After the presentation, Datu Charles was flown back to Bohol

by his custodian and breeder, Carlito Pizarras. He has since

found a home in the tarsier conservation site in Barangay

Canapnapan in Corella town, 12 kilometers from Tagbilaran City.

Pizarras, who now works full-time at the Tarsier Conservation

Center, said he would observe Datu Charles at least once a

month. From what he saw, the celebrity tarsier was back to his

normal routine of hunting, eating and sleeping.

Like any normal male tarsier, Pizarras said, Datu Charles refused

to be disturbed when the mating season came, usually peaking

in November.

Tarsier males are wooed by females, who call out when they are

in heat. Tarsiers don't mate indiscriminately.

``Even if the female brushes itself on the male, he won't oblige if

she does not smell the kind of odor he wants,'' Pizarras said in

Cebuano.

But when he comes across the right scent, the male could not be

distracted.

Not even with another opportunity to hobnob with Prince

Charles and the incumbent President? ``Not a chance,'' Pizarras

said with a smile.

Full circle

Datu Charles seemed to have gone full circle. When Pizarras

summoned him with what sounded like a restrained hissing

sound, the most popular tarsier cautiously appeared from the

trees in the forested area just across the newly constructed

Tarsier Center building.

``You're lucky he's just around the corner,'' Pizarras muttered as

Datu Charles emerged from an opening in the trail leading to the

forest.

The timid, suspicious creature that refuses to remove its claws

from Pizarras' leather jacket during the Malacañang visit did not

appear any different from other tarsiers that leapt out of sight at

the first sign of humans and other unfamiliar creatures.

In fact, Datu Charles tried to nibble at Pizarras' bare chest like

any tarsier would do when trapped and threatened. The tarsier

only settled down when he felt the familiar caress of his breeder

with whom he had constant contact during the trip more than

two years ago.

Pizarras considered the return of Datu Charles to his ``wild'' life

as an indication of the success of the tarsier conservation

efforts.

The PTFI was able to lobby with then President Ramos to sign

Proclamation No. 1030 on June 23, 1997, declaring the Philippine

tarsier a specially protected species.

As a result of the foundation's efforts, the P2-million Tarsier

Center has been built and is scheduled to be inaugurated in the

last week of October.

Tentatively set on Oct. 21, the blessing and inauguration are

expected to be an event that will acknowledge the friends of the

tarsier.

Of the total amount, P1.6 million came from the Presidential

Management Staff during the Ramos administration. The PTFI

board raised the rest of the funds.

Camacho said that among those invited to grace the occasion

was Sen. Ramon Magsaysay Jr., who appropriated P500,000

from his countrywide development fund for the project.

The Philippine Tourism Authority, through general manager

Angelito Banayo, shelled out P600,000 for various pieces of

audio-visual equipment. Banayo also committed P6 million from

the PTA to be released in the next four years for various

conservation activities.